Julian Nagelsmann has revealed he turned down an offer from Real Madrid as it was not the right step for his career.
Then at Hoffenheim, Nagelsmann was on a shortlist of candidates to replace Zinedine Zidane at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2018, but Julen Lopetegui was eventually appointed to the post.
Lopetegui s tenure ended in October that year, however, while Santiago Solari also having a brief spell in charge before Zidane returned in March 2019.
Nagelsmann, meanwhile, opted to join RB Leipzig, taking charge in 2019 and guiding the side to a third-placed finish in the Bundesliga. The 33-year-old has confirmed he decided against joining Madrid, as he thought he was not yet ready to take on a job of such magnitude.
We had phone calls, but in the end the one who decided was me, Nagelsmann told Marca ahead of Leipzig s Champions League quarter-final with Atletico Madrid.
I believed that it was still not the right step to go to Real Madrid. I was one of the candidates and the list was not very long.
For me, it was very important. I had a good chat with [Madrid general director] Jose Angel Sanchez and we decided that it was still not the right step.
We agreed that we could talk again in the future if Real Madrid needed a coach, and if I was available.
Julian : Our preparations for the Champions League are going well. I have been pleased with every training session so far the lads are giving their all.
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN)
Nagelsmann added that Leipzig provided the ideal platform for him to develop as a coach.
I wanted the next step to be logical. I try to plan a career in football, even if it is difficult, he said.
I m a young boy, I don t have to go to the top shelf right away either. I give myself time to develop. Leipzig went to great lengths to sign me. That was the most important thing.
Relatively fast I had an offer on the table. We had good conversations and I saw that it was a good next step. A bigger club, with a bigger budget than Hoffenheim, which would allow me to continue developing.
They have also given me a free hand to introduce my ideas. I do not have to permanently justify what I do, but I have the possibility to evolve and transfer my ideas to the field of play.
It was a good next step in my career to prepare myself and in the future, maybe.
